


But wolves and humans, too

by LullabyOfHell



Category: Into the Woods (2014), Into the Woods - Sondheim/Lapine
Genre: Bisexuality, F/F, POV Bisexual Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-22
Updated: 2015-03-22
Packaged: 2018-03-19 00:02:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3588861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LullabyOfHell/pseuds/LullabyOfHell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I'm no lady." She answered. "I'm just a baker's wife." </p><p>The baker's wife decides to take a more diplomatic approach to get one of the items, and Rapunzel is as intrigued as she is fascinated.</p>
            </blockquote>





	But wolves and humans, too

That voice was not the Prince's.

Her mother had warned her - quite insistently, in fact, about the dangers of talking to strangers, let alone to let them in. But upon taking a sneaky peek at the stranger that now called for her, she couldn't hold a gasp of surprise.

It was a woman, one very different from the witch or herself, with her old patched dress and brown hair tied in a simple bun, and even though Rapunzel was sure that she hadn't seen her in her life, the woman seemed to know what to say to get to the tower.

A million thoughts crossed her mind, If only just for a moment, about what she should do with her. Should she let her in? Or should she listen to her mother? With the prince, the answer had been very clear from the beginning, as she had heard enough stories to know what a prince wants when he calls a woman his princess. But she hadn't heard any story about a mysterious woman getting outside her window to be with her, and with that she felt more cautious, maybe even a little afraid.

But a little afraid was good, it was more exciting and new and something worth exploring for sure. Also, not knowing made her feel even more curious - what could the woman possibly want? She _had_ to discover it. Besides, despite her mother's advices, the only person that she had let reach her room turned out to be so nice and refreshing.

So she let her golden braid down, down until it touched the ground, and looked as the woman seemed to struggle with it. There was too much pushing and pulling at the start, almost as If she wanted to drop her out of the tower, but after a while, the woman just exhaled sharply and started the climb.

It was always weird - although also kind of nice, to feel people climbing up and down her hair. She should be used to it, by now, but she always felt fascinated by the change in the weight of the bodies as they approached the window, her hands having to hold her braid harder with every step that the person took nearer, and sometimes even feeling an annoyingly pulling sensation at her scalp.

The woman, though, seemed to be so light that she did not feel such pain.

She went up the windowsill with a final gasp, and my, she was beautiful. Her brown hair was messier now – or maybe she hadn't seen it well at first –, her lips were plump and red and her eyes were of the loveliest shade of blue she had ever gazed into. Her face looked so kind, no doubt she meant no harm. Softly, she took her hands and helped her get inside the room. They were rough, but warm and pleasant to the touch.

"So what brings you here..." She hesitated a moment, not knowing how to address her. She wasn't a prince, that was for sure, even If she was as fascinating as one, If not more. "... My lady?" she ended up settling for. The woman's cheeks turned red.

"I'm no lady." She answered. "I'm just a baker's wife." Rapunzel tilted her head. It was a title she had never heard before, nor in stories nor in life.

"And what brings you here, baker's wife?"

"Well... It's a long story, you see." She said, with a nervous giggle. "You could say that I'm on a quest."

"A quest? Oh, like a prince." Rapunzel's eyes lit up upon the thought. She took the baker's wife hands again, leading her to her bed before sitting on it. "And what kind of quest is it? What do you have to do? Oh, tell me everything!" The baker's wife seemed to waver again before Rapunzel's excitement, as If she was decided to keep it secret.

"It's a really, really long story... Are you sure you have time?"

"I have all the time in the world to hear you." Replied Rapunzel, her hand caressing the wife's  and her voice soft and reassuring, like a song. "I've read or heard all the stories that this place can give me, and I'm dying to be able to know about the ones that happen outside this little world. Since my mother is the only one that visits me often, I've no one else to hear, nor much things to do nowadays." Her voice dropped to a whisper before going on. "Sometimes a prince visits me, too, but it's a secret." The baker's wife opened her mouth to say something, but Rapunzel didn't realize and kept talking. "Will you come back, too, when I'm alone? Not many people come to the tower, and I'm often so lonely... I could use some company once in a while, apart from my mother's or the prince."

"I will... Think about it." Said the baker's wife, looking thoughtful and a little insecure. "Perhaps when I'm done with my quest."

"Oh, right! Your quest, what was it about?"

"I can't tell you, yet, but I need your help." Now _that_ was something new. Nobody had ever asked her help for something of such importance. 'Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair for me', 'Rapunzel, keep singing, your voice is beautiful', 'Rapunzel, tidy up the room, you're leaving books everywhere!' were the only things that required some help from her until that moment. She hoped she would be ready to lend the baker's wife a hand.

"I will aid you If you promise me something." Rapunzel answered, giving a firm squeeze to the baker's wife arm.

"Anything."

"You'll come to see me after you finish it. And you'll tell me everything about it." For the first time since she was there, the baker's wife smiled. Her teeth were white and her eyes alight, and Rapunzel thought that it was quite the sight to see someone so wonderful smiling.

"Well, that I can promise you." She assured. "If everything works fine."

Rapunzel brought the woman's hand to her lips.

"It's a promise, then." She said softly before kissing it. The baker's wife seemed surprised at first, but her smile reappeared soon enough. "Now, what do I have to do? Or should I give something to you?" The woman touched one of her blond curls, shiny as gold.

"A lock of your hair."

"Oh, I see." and with that, she got up and grabbed a knife, before cutting one of the longer tresses around her face with a swift movement. She could have chosen any of the shorter, but she felt like giving then, and even If it made for a poor present it was better that nothing at all.

"Here." She said, fastening it with one of her ribbons and giving it to her. The baker's wife looked at it briefly before pocketing it in her dress.

"Thank you." was all she said, before going towards the window and turning around to look at Rapunzel one last time. "Now I should go. It's getting darker by the hour and I should be on my way."

"You can spend the night here, If you want." Offered Rapunzel, that dreaded feeling of loneliness creeping inside her again.

"I can't. But I promise I will return soon, okay?" The baker's wife answered, smiling warmly towards her. Rapunzel's stomach also felt a little warm because of that, as it did when she was happy and smitten with something or someone. She went to let go her braid towards the end of the tower, so the baker's wife could go down again.

"Thank you for everything." She said as she stood on the windowsill, her feet already adjusting to the braided locks. Rapunzel laughed, feeling giddy. The last moments of company before going back to being alone again.

"I should be the one thanking you." She answered. She felt that something was lacking, though, and remembered what she used to do as farewell with the prince.

The cheeks of the baker's wife were already cold when she grabbed them, but she could feel her hot breath against her skin when she kissed her, lips soft as something she had never felt before. It took the baker's wife so much by surprise, though, that she almost fell from the window, although she could hold herself in time. Her cheeks were red and she seemed completely at a loss about what to do.

"W-well, until next time." She said, nervous and dubious, before getting down the tower and into the night.

It wasn't until dawn, when the birds came flying and her mother had already returned, that she realized that she hadn't asked the woman her name.

**Author's Note:**

> I've always wondered what would have happened if the Baker's wife climbed up Rapunzel's hair and got to the tower to try to bargain some. The plot-bunny sat in my head for quite some time before it exploded into this. Dedicated to my sister, as always, for being an awesome beta.


End file.
